Monday, December 31, 2007

Decorations coming down




Christmas is over for this year. I love Christmas! But our tree is now out in the back yard! Jerry has taken the outside decorations all down and put them away. I'll be putting the nativity sets away for another year. I leave one out all year! It's very unique. Sort of international. Wise men are searching for the Jesus and have come on horse back, elephant, and camel or llama, (I'm not sure which it is!) It doesn't matter...wise men still seek Jesus today! Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus are in a bubble that snows! They have moved from the stable to a palace! There is also a music box! Again...wise men still seek Jesus today!

Quiet!

It's very quiet at our house this morning! Sydney and Isabella went home yesterday afternoon, after being here for ten days! They're very good little girls, active and sweet! They helped to keep us young!!! Because I burned my hand and had a rotten cold almost the whole time they were here they did their best to help me. Jessica and Haleigh also helped out by inviting them over to play and even had some sleep-overs! I think my cold settled in my sinuses and I'll have to go to the doctor to get over that. The meds I'm taking relieve me but they don't get rid of the problem so I'll have to make a visit to our family doctor. Syd and Bella wanted to go sledding again before they went home so Ted took them after dinner yesterday. But the hill was very bumpy and hard so it wasn't nearly as much fun as it was on Saturday. In fact, it hurt! We need a new thick layer of fluffy snow! Thank you, Lord, for quiet; granddaughters; snow; doctors; medicine; and You!

Saturday, December 29, 2007

Sledding!


I took Sydney & Bella to the city forest sledding this afternoon. Did they have fun! It's a very big hill! When we first arrived there were some people there but when we left there were lots of people there! Too many, even. The first time down the hill Bella went by herself and it was very scary for her. She went fast and even spun around and went backwards so she wasn't in control and was really scared, but then the two girls went together and she loved it. She was even willing to go alone again. When I finally said it was time to go home neither one of them wanted to but I was cold. Thank you, Lord, for fun times.

Friday, December 28, 2007

Cookies



We finally got to make our cookies! We took out the Santa, Christmas tree, camel, and any other cookie cutters that were obviously Christmas, and had fun just making and decorating cookies ! Haleigh was also with us. Lord, thank you for my granddaughters and for their patience with me.

Tuesday, December 25, 2007

Merry Christmas



Merry Christmas! Sydney and Isabella sang for us early this morning, it wasn't six o'clock but it was still early: 6:40! We had a good morning of opening presents. Sydney and Bella discovered that Santa found them at our house and left them each a stocking! Their daddy got them a DVD player for the car! I gave Jerry a tom tom, a navigation system, for the car. We'll never get lost again! We also got lots of candy and other gifts! A gift card for Kohl's for Sydney and Bella and Haleigh means a fun shopping trip this week! Ted made a unique 3 tier candle holder for me out of copper. He made a poker for Jerry for the wood stove from an old lightning rod off an old barn! Pam gave me a unique nativity set to add to my collection! It has water running from the pot into a stream! Also a box of the sweetest oranges from Florida! Rob & Jessica gave me some bath items and a gift card for apple bees. Beautiful family pictures from Christy's family. Jerry gave me my new lap top and printer/scanner (earlier). Oh, there was lots more but that's enough for now. Oh, yes, Andrew gave me a CD of Rod Stewart! It has some of my favorite songs on it, like "My Funny Valentine" and "I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm!" Thank you, again, Lord, for beautiful family times. Help us to remember: Jesus is the reason for the season! Wise men still seek HIM!

Monday, December 24, 2007

My Burned Fingers!

Sydney wrote a blog telling about me burning my fingers with boiling honey so I thought I'd better explain about it. Sydney is typing for me. She's eight years old! Sydney , Isabella , Haleigh and I were going to make cookies. The recipe I chose to use called for honey. Wouldn't you know it ...the honey had crystallized. I put it in the microwave oven for just a few seconds...too long! It
boiled! I got it out but pouring it into the measuring cup was my mistake! The boiling honey ran
all the way down my fingers! I ran cold water on them to get the honey washed off. That felt good! Rob and Jessica came over as fast as they could! Rob is an emergency ski patroller and Jessica is a nurse so they took over. Thanks Rob and Jessica. The cookies are on hold! Today my fingers are blistered and swollen. Jerry is taking good care of me today. He rewrapped it and gets after me when I forget and start to use my hand for something. My granddaughters are a big help to me too. I praise you, Lord, because you are my healer. Thank you for family for taking over when I'm not able to do the normal things and for their knowledge of what to do in an emergency. Thank you for Sydney and her help.

Sunday, December 23, 2007

A note from Sydney

My grandma got burned on her fingers, with boiling honey! She hurts really bad, she almost cried. Uncle rob and anut Jessica came becuase they know how to fix hurt people. She still hurts bad. So grandpa and I have to do all the work! I have to fix lunch now so I better go!

Saturday, December 22, 2007

Excitment!



This sign was taped to our guest room door by Sydney! I laughed and then remembered back to when our own kids were young and Christmas was so exciting. Lots of secrets and whispering went on. Every year on Christmas morning we were awakened at 6:00 AM by 5 kids singing,"We Wish You A Merry Christmas!" Actually their whispering and shhhhing was what woke us up! It was a wonderful tradition made up by our own kids. Even Grandma drove out to our house early so she wouldn't miss the excitement of opening gifts. One year we were awakened about 3:00 AM by one lone little boy singing at the top of his lungs, "We Wish You A Merry Christmas!" He just couldn't wait! I convinced him he needed to go back to bed and to sleep until the rest got up to sing with him! Thank you Lord for good family times and for kids and grand kids! Most of all, thank you for Jesus! Jesus is the reason for the season!

Monday, December 17, 2007

More Graduation pictures





#1 Katie, Matthew, Gene, Jerry, & Pam #2 Gloria & Len #3 Crowd & Mascot #4 Andrew & proud Mom!
Thank you, Lord, for family and for wonderful occasions, like graduations!

Family Time


We all met in the Country Inn at Houghton, MI on Friday afternoon, went out for supper together and had a good family time. #1 - Katie & Andrew warming up by the fire. #2 - Two grandpa's, Jerry & Len. #3 - Brothers & friends, Matthew and Andrew. #4- Mother & Daughter, Anita & Pam. #5 - Katie & Andrew by the motel Christmas tree. Thank you, Lord, for good family times.



Sunday, December 16, 2007

Senior luncheon

Tom, Peggy, and Ed are all first timers! Later Peggy played her cello for us!


Dave and son, Mark: the party crasher! That's okay, he was here from Illinois visiting Mom & Dad!


Dee on the flute, Peggy on the cello, and Lois on the piano! We sang lots of Christmas carols!

Duane, Val, Mary, Al, and Harold sang for us. It was all very good.

Today was the day for our senior luncheon. The weather was bad so there weren't as many there as would have been otherwise. But we also had some party crashers! Let us not give up meeting together..., but let us encourage one another... Hebrews 10:25

Graduation


#1 Andrew & proud Dad & Mom! #2 It's no joke, Andrew is a college graduate with a degree in electrical engineering! Picture #3 is Katie and Andrew! #4 he's getting his diploma! Yeah!!! #5 is a sea of black caps and red tassel's!




A few weeks ago I wrote about having to make a tough decision NOT to go to Andrew's graduation. Well, circumstances changed! We did go and it was wonderful! We're so glad we went. It was an eight hour drive up to Houghton, Michigan to Michigan Technological University. It's far north in the upper peninsula of Michigan. We drove up on Friday and arrived in time to eat supper with Andrew, Katie, Pam, Gene, Matthew, Gloria, and Len. It was wonderful to see everyone again. Graduation was at 10:30 Saturday morning. We left to drive home after taking pictures, giving congratulations, etc. We arrived back home about 10:00 P.M. It was a long drive but it was definitely worth it! We're very proud of our oldest grandchild! Picture #6 is the proud grad! #7 Andrew with Jerry and me! #8 Andrew with his two favorite grandma's, Gloria and me! #9 Andrew with both sets of grandparents! Gloria & Len and Jerry & me. #10 Gene, Andrew, Matthew, & Pam. Dear Father, I praise you because You are our Maker. Forgive me for taking You for granted. Thank you for family. Thank you for Andrew. Please guide him as he enters a whole new phase of life now. He'll soon be going off to a new job and a whole new life. Please guide him and watch over him. I love him but You love him even more! Thank you for Andrew.







Thursday, December 13, 2007

Star of Bethlehem

Last evening we watched the second half of Star of Bethlehem. Oh my goodness, I'm in awe at the greatness of God. I'm in awe at the preciseness of His creation and His timing. Nothing just happened along the way or was done haphazerdly. God is Sovereign and I praise Him.

Monday, December 10, 2007

Nativity

Jesus loves the people in Haiti!



Jesus loves the Hmong People from SE Asia and many here in the US. This Nativity scene was hand stitched by a Hmong friend.



Jesus came for the Native Americans.




A set from my mom!





Jesus loves the folks in the Middle East.








We bought this one in Bethlehem.
I have a collection of nativity sets. I'm trying to get sets from as many different countries as I can or at least countries where I've been to. These are only a few and some of my favorites. I've been asked how many I have and I truthfully don't know! I'm always on the lookout for a new unique set. "Jesus loves the little children of the world," and also the grown-ups! Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth. Worship the Lord with joyful songs. Know that the Lord is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Psalm 100


One more to go...




Jesus loves the Eskimos too!






Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Christy! This was a very happy day in the life of our family...back then we didn't know if the new baby was a boy or girl until the baby was born. You were just what we hoped for...a girl. Of course we'd have been happy either way but with your birth we had two boys and two girls. Have fun celebrating your birthday this coming weekend with your friends!!! I wish I could be there too! Be sure to tell me all about it. Lord, thank you for Christy. She's a great wife and mom, daughter and sister, and friend. Please guide her and keep Your Hand upon her in all she does. Help her to remember: "The joy of the Lord is our strength."

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Happy Birthday

Happy Birthday, Rob! Oh my goodness, thirty-five years ago today I had my fifth and last baby! And what a joy you were! As you grew up you turned into kind of a dare devil! You loved to take risks! I don't know where you got that from! But it has paid off because today you are a Ski Patrol Outdoor Emergency Tech. We're very proud of you...a Christian, husband, father, son, brother, friend. Thank you, Lord, for Rob! Please guide him through life as a husband, a father, at work, and on the ski slopes. Keep Your Hand upon him and draw him close to You.

Thursday, December 06, 2007

DVD

Last evening we saw the first half of a DVD, Star of Bethlehem. It left us wowed and awed! I can't wait to see the second half next Wed. evening. If you have a chance to see it, do. Today I want to start looking up all the scriptures that go with it. When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that You care for him? You made Him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned Him with glory and honor. Psalms 8:3-5.

Monday, December 03, 2007

Jerry

Here's my boyfriend watching football on TV.
And here's my husband smiling at me!
Thank you, Heavenly Father, for Jerry. He loves me! And I love him.

Saturday, December 01, 2007

Live Nativity






Today we went to Covenant Hills to a live nativity. It was very cold out. We rode in a wagon pulled by Clydesdale horses - # 1. Mary, Joseph, & baby Jesus - # 2. Shepherd's arrive - # 3. Shepherd's keeping warm by fire (Pat & Cherilyn & sons) - # 4. There were hundreds of lights and displays. It was well done. We almost didn't go because a big snow storm was predicted. But nothing was happening at five o'clock when we left here. It started snowing a few minutes before we left to come back home. It is turning into quite a snow storm. We're glad we went though, it was a very good evening with two other couples: Penn & Joan, Richard & Marilyn, and Jerry & me. We're getting lots of snow now. We saw other folks we know like Doyle & Margaret. It was a good evening. Thank you, Lord for good friends. Thank you for dedicated people who give of themselves for others even when it's terribly cold out. Thank you for Jesus: the reason for the season!

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday, Madelyn! I can't believe a whole year has gone by since you were born! You are one of the sweetest and prettiest little baby granddaughters we've ever had! You are #6 of our granddaughters and # 13 in all! We were there when you were born so we know how sweet you are! The problem is we haven't seen you since, except in pictures! But that will change, probably in February! Thank you, Lord, for our little Maddie! Please keep Your Hand upon her as she grows into toddler stage and even well beyond that. We all love her so much but Your Love is far greater than we can even imagine. I Praise You!